U.S. patent application number 11/749053 was filed with the patent office on 2007-12-20 for test system of semiconductor device having a handler remote control and method of operating the same.
This patent application is currently assigned to SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.. Invention is credited to Jeong-Ho BANG, Dae-Gab CHI, Ae-Yong CHUNG, Sung-Ok KIM, Eun-Seok LEE, Kyeong-Seon SHIN.
Application Number | 20070290707 11/749053 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 38860895 |
Filed Date | 2007-12-20 |
United States Patent
Application |
20070290707 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
CHUNG; Ae-Yong ; et
al. |
December 20, 2007 |
TEST SYSTEM OF SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICE HAVING A HANDLER REMOTE CONTROL
AND METHOD OF OPERATING THE SAME
Abstract
A test system of a semiconductor device for a handler remote
control is provided. The system includes: a tester for testing the
semiconductor device; a handler connected to the tester through a
GPIB (General Purpose Instruction Bus) communication cable; a
tester server connected to the tester to download a test program,
handler remote control program and a handler state check program to
the tester; and communication data transmitted and received through
the GPIB communication cable between the tester and the handler,
wherein the communication data has basic communication data for an
electrical test of the semiconductor device, communication data for
the handler remote control, and communication data for a handler
state check.
Inventors: |
CHUNG; Ae-Yong;
(Chungcheongnam-do,, KR) ; LEE; Eun-Seok;
(Chungcheongnam-do,, KR) ; BANG; Jeong-Ho;
(Gyeonggi-do, KR) ; SHIN; Kyeong-Seon;
(Gyeonggi-do,, KR) ; CHI; Dae-Gab; (Gyeonggi-do,
KR) ; KIM; Sung-Ok; (Chungcheongnam-do,, KR) |
Correspondence
Address: |
MARGER JOHNSON & MCCOLLOM, P.C.
210 SW MORRISON STREET, SUITE 400
PORTLAND
OR
97204
US
|
Assignee: |
SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO.,
LTD.
416 Maetan-dong, Yeongtong-gu, Suwon-si
Gyeonggi-do
KR
|
Family ID: |
38860895 |
Appl. No.: |
11/749053 |
Filed: |
May 15, 2007 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
|
|
|
|
|
|
Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
11252448 |
Oct 17, 2005 |
7230417 |
|
|
11749053 |
May 15, 2007 |
|
|
|
Current U.S.
Class: |
324/762.01 |
Current CPC
Class: |
G01R 31/2893 20130101;
G01R 31/31919 20130101; G01R 31/2894 20130101; G01R 31/31718
20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
324/765 |
International
Class: |
G01R 31/00 20060101
G01R031/00 |
Claims
1. A test system for a semiconductor device having a handler remote
control, the system comprising: a tester to test the semiconductor
device; a handler connected to the tester; a tester server to
download a test program to the tester and a handler remote control
program to the handler; and a communication connection between the
tester and the handler
2. The system of claim 1, further comprising a communication
connection between the tester server and the handler to download
the handler remote control program directly from the tester server
to the handler.
3. The system of claim 2 wherein the communication connection
between the tester server and the handler comprises a LAN
cable.
4. The system of claim 2 wherein the tester server may download a
handler state check program to the handler through the
communication connection between the tester server and the
handler.
5. The system of claim 2 wherein a handler state check may be
uploaded from the handler to the tester server through the
communication connection between the tester server and the
handler.
6. The system of claim 1, wherein the handler remote control
program is downloaded from the tester server to the handler through
the tester.
7. A method of testing target a semiconductor device, comprising:
downloading a test program suitable to a lot of the target
semiconductor device, from a tester server to a tester; downloading
a handler remote control program suitable to the lot of the target
semiconductor device, from the tester server to a handler; remotely
setting an operation condition of a the handler by using the
handler remote control program; and performing an electrical test
of the semiconductor device by using the test program.
8. The method of claim wherein the handler remote control program
is downloaded directly from the tester server to the handler.
9. The method of claim 8 wherein the handler remote control program
is downloaded through a LAN cable.
10. The method of claim 8 further comprising downloading a handler
state check program from the tester server to the handler.
11. The method of claim 8 further comprising uploading handler
state check data from the handler to the tester server.
12. The system of claim 7, wherein the handler remote control
program is downloaded from the tester server to the handler through
the tester.
Description
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent
application Ser. No. 11/252,448, filed Oct. 17, 2005, now pending,
which claims priority from Korean patent application no.
10-2004-0084396, filed on Oct. 21, 2004. We incorporate U.S.
application Ser. No. 11/252,448 and Korean application no.
10-2004-0084396 by reference in their entireties.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] This application claims the benefit and priority of Korean
Patent Application No. 10-2004-0084396, filed on Oct. 21, 2004, the
disclosure of which is herein incorporated by reference in its
entirety.
[0003] 1. Field of the Invention
[0004] The invention relates to an electrical test system for a
semiconductor device, and more particularly, to a test system for a
semiconductor device having a handler remote control and an
operation method of operating the same.
[0005] 2. Description of the Related Art
[0006] A test process of a semiconductor device refers to a process
of electrically testing a function of a completely manufactured
semiconductor device in a wafer state or a package state. Equipment
used in the electrical test process of the semiconductor device can
include a tester server, a tester, a handler and the like.
[0007] The tester tests Direct Current (DC) and Alternate Current
(AC) characteristics and a function characteristic of the
semiconductor device by using a measurement system controlled by a
Central Processing Unit (CPU). The handler refers to an automatic
robot equipment for providing an external condition, such as
temperature, to electrically test the semiconductor device, for
automatically moving the semiconductor device under electrical
test, and for sorting the semiconductor device according to the
electrical test result. The tester server refers to computer
equipment for downloading a test program to a plurality of testers
and collecting the test results from each of the testers.
[0008] The tester and the handler are very high cost equipment
compared to other equipment used in the manufacturing process of
semiconductor devices. Accordingly, since efficiency of the
electrical test process of the semiconductor device is directly
related to the market competitiveness of the device, manufacturers
of semiconductor devices are interested in methods for increasing
the efficiency of the test.
[0009] FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a conventional test
system of the semiconductor device.
[0010] Referring to FIG. 1, to perform an electrical test for a
semiconductor device using a conventional system, a test program
suitable for a Device Under Test (DIJT) is downloaded from a tester
server 20 to a tester 10. When an electrical test for one
semiconductor device is completed, the test result is transmitted
to a handler 30. When an electrical test for an entire lot is
completed, the electrical test result is again uploaded, this time
to the tester server 20.
[0011] The tester 10 and the handler 30 are connected with each
other using a General Purpose Instruction Bus (GPIB) communication
cable for transmitting and receiving communication data for the
electrical test of the semiconductor device. The transmitted and
received data comprise basic communication data necessary for the
electrical test of the semiconductor device. The basic
communication data include a test start signal and a test end
signal for the DUT, a category bin depending on the test results,
an error signal, and the like. In cases where the electrical test
is performed in parallel, the basic communication data includes a
signal for the number of the DUTs concurrently tested, a mapping
signal for the DUT included in a tray, and the like.
[0012] FIG. 2 is a flowchart illustrating an electrical test using
the conventional test system of a semiconductor device of FIG.
1.
[0013] Referring to FIG. 2, an operator inputs the number of lots
including the target DUT by using a control console of the tester
(S10). The tester downloads a test program suitable for the lot
number, from the tester server (S20). The operator then sets a
handler control condition (for example, a soak time, a retest
condition, a test temperature, a category bin site and the like) to
the handler connected with the tester (S30).
[0014] The soak time, in cases where the semiconductor device is
electrically tested at a high temperature or at a low temperature,
refers to a wait time of the semiconductor device at a specific
high temperature or low temperature for a predetermined time. The
setting of the category bin site refers to sorting and storing the
semiconductor device after completing the electrical test for the
semiconductor device. For example, after the electrical test, the
semiconductor device may be sorted as follows: a passed device may
be defined as bin1, an Alternate Current (AC) characteristic failed
device may be defined as bin2, a function characteristic failed
device may be defined as bin3, and a Direct Current (DC)
characteristic failed device may be defined as bin4. Then, the
handler designates sites at which the bins, bin1 to bin4, are
stored. Such designation of each of the storage sites of the bins
is called "category bin site setting".
[0015] The retest condition refers to a condition for a retest
performed for a poor-characteristic bin as designated by the
handler, and the test temperature setting refers to the setting of
the high temperature or the low temperature at which the
semiconductor device is electrically tested.
[0016] In the conventional test system as shown in FIG. 1, the
handler 30 does not directly communicate with the tester server 20.
Moreoever, the handler 30 is only connected with the tester 10 to
transmit and receive basic communication data. Additionally, the
handler 30 is not connected in a networking structure. Accordingly,
an operator must manually manipulate a variety of control items for
the handler. The handler 30 has an independent CPU to control its
internal robot unit. While a general tester 10 has a very high
utilization of the CPU at a percentage of 90 to 100, the handler
30, although a high-priced equipment, has an apparently low
utilization of its internal CPU at a percentage of 70 to 80.
[0017] In such an operation environment of the test system, it
takes a much longer time for an operator to manually set a handler
control condition than for a system to automatically set the
handler control condition. Accordingly, in the electrical test
process of the semiconductor device requiring manual setting of a
handler, efficiency of the electrical test is deteriorated.
Further, the handler control condition manipulated by the operator
has a high probability of error caused by the operator, thereby
decreasing the accuracy of the test process. Additionally, due to a
shortage of data collection for problems occurring in the handler,
the conventional test system can also have a drawback in that the
handler cannot be effectively maintained at an appropriate
time.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0018] The invention provides a test system for a semiconductor
device having a handler remote control.
[0019] Also, the invention provides an operation method of a test
system for a semiconductor device having a handler remote
control.
[0020] According to an aspect of the invention, a test system for a
semiconductor device having a handler remote control comprises: a
tester for testing the semiconductor device; a handler connected to
the tester through a GPIB (General Purpose Instruction Bus)
communication cable; a tester server connected to the tester to
download a test program, handler remote control program and handler
state check program to the tester; and communication data
transmitted and received through the GPIB communication cable
between the tester and the handler, wherein the communication data
has basic communication data for an electrical test of the
semiconductor device, communication data for the handler remote
control, and communication data for a handler state check.
[0021] The communication data for the handler remote control may
have a soak time setting data, a set condition for a retest, a set
condition for a test temperature, a set condition for a category
bin and a set condition for a loading time.
[0022] The communication data for the handler state check may have
a handler jam data, error and alarm data of the handler, sorting
data of the handler and a temperature stability data of the
handler.
[0023] According to another aspect of the invention, a method for
testing a semiconductor device comprises: searching a tester server
for data to input a lot number of the target semiconductor device
by using a control console of a tester; downloading a test program
suitable to a lot of the target semiconductor device, from the
tester server to the tester; downloading a handler remote control
program and a handler state check program suitable to the lot of
the target semiconductor device, from the tester server to the
tester; remotely setting an operation condition of the handler by
using the handler remote control program; and performing an
electrical test for the semiconductor device by using the test
program while checking a handler state by using the handler state
check program.
[0024] The data for the handler state check may be periodically
checked during the electrical test for the semiconductor device or
be nonperiodically transmitted from the handler to the tester when
the handler malfunctions.
[0025] The method may further include: constructing a database by
using the collected handler state check data in the tester server
after the electrical test and the checking of the handler state are
performed.
[0026] According to the invention, the handler control condition is
set in the remote control way by using the GPIB communication
cable, not the operator, in the electrical test system of the
semiconductor device. Accordingly, firstly, the handler control
item can be set in the system automatic way, to increase the
utilization of the handler CPU and reduce the test time, thereby
increasing the test efficiency. Secondly, the error caused by the
operator in the process of setting the handler control item can be
suppressed. Thirdly, the problems caused in the handler are
collected as the handler state check data to construct the
database, thereby more effectively monitor and maintain the state
of the handler.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0027] The above and other features and advantages of the invention
will become more apparent by describing in detail exemplary
embodiments thereof with reference to the attached drawings in
which:
[0028] FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a conventional test
system for a semiconductor device;
[0029] FIG. 2 is a flowchart illustrating a conventional electrical
test in a test system for a semiconductor device;
[0030] FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating a test system for a
semiconductor device having a handler remote control according to
the invention:
[0031] FIG. 4 is a flowchart illustrating an operation method of a
test system for a semiconductor device having a handler remote
control according to the invention; and
[0032] FIG. 5 is a block diagram illustrating another embodiment of
a test system for a semiconductor device having a handler remote
control according to the invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS
[0033] The invention will now be described more fully with
reference to the accompanying drawings, in which exemplary
embodiments of the invention are shown. The invention may, however,
be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as
being limited to the embodiments set forth herein; rather, these
embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough
and complete, and will fully convey the concept of the invention to
those skilled in the art.
[0034] FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating a test system for a
semiconductor device having a handier remote control according to
the invention.
[0035] Referring to FIG. 3, to perform an electrical test on a
semiconductor device, a tester 110 downloads a test program
corresponding to a Device Under Test (DUT) from a tester server
100. The tester 110 downloads not only the test program, but also a
handler remote control program and a handler state check program.
When the electrical test for one semiconductor device is completed,
the test result is transmitted to a handler 120. When the
electrical test for an entire lot is finished, the test result is
again uploaded, this time to the tester server 100. Further, the
tester 110 also uploads a handler state check result, which is
collected using the handler state check program, to the tester
server 100.
[0036] The tester 110 and the handler 120 are connected with each
other using a General Purpose Instruction Bus (GPIB) communication
cable to transmit and receive data necessary for the electrical
test of the semiconductor device. In the test system according to
the invention, the basic communication data for the electrical test
includes not only transmitted and received data as in the
conventional test system, such as a test start signal and a test
end signal for the DUT, an error signal and a category bin signal
depending on the test results, but also communication data for the
handler remote control and the handler state check.
[0037] Protocols using the GPIB communication cable to transmit and
receive the communication data for the handler remote control and
the communication data for the handler state check may be
implemented in various ways in software.
[0038] The communication data for the handler remote control
includes a soak time setting data, a set condition for a retest, a
set condition for a test temperature, a set condition for a
category bin, and the like. The communication data for the handler
remote control can further include a set condition for a loading
time, a condition for a remnant lot, a set condition for an auto
restart, a set condition for a retest on/off, and the like.
[0039] The set condition for the loading time means the time taken
to transport the semiconductor device, which is disposed at an
ordinary tray, to another tray used for the test, and then starting
the electrical test for the semiconductor device in the handler
120.
[0040] The condition for the remnant lot is described as follows.
Assuming that 800 units of semiconductor devices are provided in
one slot and the capacity of a parallel-test socket board for the
unit semiconductor devices tested at one time is 256 in number.
Then, at a fourth test, only the remaining 32 semiconductor devices
are tested. However, in cases where the number of the semiconductor
devices tested at one time is less than a predetermined number as
described above, for example, in case where only one or two
semiconductor devices are provided, the one or two semiconductor
devices are not tested. Thus, the condition for the remnant lot
refers to the setting of the number of the semiconductor devices
including the one or two semiconductor devices, which are not
tested and, instead, are included in a later retest process.
[0041] The set condition for the auto restart applies when two
handlers are operated at the same time to enhance the efficiency of
the test. In cases where two handlers are connected to one tester
to perform the electrical test for the semiconductor device in
parallel, a test start signal for one handler is delayed according
to need.
[0042] The retest on/off condition is described as follows. In
cases where the handler performs a retest of a specific bin (for
example, a bin4 failed device being a DC failed device) two times,
a yield of passed devices is obtained in the retest. For example,
if a retest of 100 of bin4 failed devices results in 20 passed
devices, it may be desirable that the retest is performed. However,
if a retest of 100 of bin4 failed devices results in not even one
passed device, it may not be required to perform the retest. In
this case, a specific yield is set for the retest through the
retest on/off condition.
[0043] As described above, the handler remote control program is
downloaded from the tester server 100 and the downloaded handler
remote control program is used to remotely control the handler in
the tester server 110 so that a handler control condition can be
set automatically, rather than manually by an operator.
Accordingly, the utilization of a handler CPU can be increased, and
a test time can be reduced to increase the test efficiency.
Additionally, errors caused when the operator manually sets the
handler control conditions can be avoided by using the automatic
system.
[0044] The handler state check program comprises communication data
that can include handler jam data, handler error and alarm data,
handler sorting data, handler temperature stability data, and the
like.
[0045] The handler jam data and error/alarm data is described as
follows. During the process of using the handler to transport or
dispose the semiconductor device at a predetermined position, a
mechanical malfunction may occur. The malfunction may be caused by
a mechanical defect of a robot unit of the handler or by an
external defect of the semiconductor device. In some cases, the
mechanical malfunction may be solved through a program execution of
the CPU of the handler. However, in cases where the mechanical
malfunction cannot be solved through the program execution of the
CPU of the handler, the handler generates an error signal while
sounding an alarm to inform the operator of the mechanical
malfunction. As aforementioned, the jam data and the error/alarm
data are transmitted from the handler to the tester.
[0046] The sorting data is described as follows. When one lot is
electrically tested in the handler, the number of the semiconductor
devices in each of the bins is transmitted to the tester. Since the
remnant semiconductor devices not removed from the handler can be
included in other lots to be subsequently tested, the devices are
mixed with one another, thereby causing a critical defect.
Accordingly, a drawback in the conventional test system, in which
the operator does not remove all of the tested devices from the
handler, is solved.
[0047] Finally, the temperature stability data is described as
follows. In cases where the electrical test for the semiconductor
device is performed at a specific temperature (for example, a low
temperature of -0.degree. C.), continuous maintenance of -0.degree.
C. can be varied due to an irregular supply of a cooling gas, such
as nitrogen. That is, the temperature stability data refers to
variations to the set test temperature.
[0048] As described above, the jam, alarm, sorting data and the
temperature stability data generated at the handler 120 are
transmitted from the handler 120 to the tester 110 so that the
tester server 100 can construct and utilize a database to more
effectively monitor and maintain the state of the handler 120.
[0049] FIG. 4 is a flowchart illustrating an operation method of
the test system of the semiconductor device for the handler remote
control according to the invention.
[0050] Referring to FIG. 4, the lot number of the test-target
semiconductor device is inputted using the control console of the
tester (S1100). The tester downloads the test program corresponding
to the lot number of the test-target semiconductor device, from the
tester server (S110). In the invention, the tester also downloads
the handler remote control program and the handler state check
program, from the tester server (S120). In one embodiment, the
handler remote control program and the handler state check program
can be in the form of an independent program, separate from the
test program. In another embodiment, the handler remote control
program and the handler state check program can be in the form of
an accessory program attached to the test program.
[0051] After the test program, the handler remote control program,
and the handler state check program are downloaded to the tester,
the tester executes the handler remote control program to transmit
the communication data for the handler remote control to the
handler CPU by using the GPIB communication cable connected to the
handler. The handler CPU uses the received communication data to
automatically set the handler control conditions (S130). The
invention is not limited to using the GPIB communication cable and
other embodiments may use a similar communication line.
[0052] The tester then starts the electrical test for the target
semiconductor device disposed in the lot (S140). While the
electrical test for the semiconductor device is being performed,
the handler state check program may be executed, either
periodically or nonperiodically, to check the jam, alarm, sorting
data and the temperature stability data, which are generated from
the handler (S150). The handler state check data in stored in a
memory of the tester. Next, the stored data is again transmitted to
the tester server to construct a database (S160). Accordingly, the
tester server uses the constructed database to allow an engineer
and the operator to utilize the handler state check data in real
time, thereby effectively monitoring and maintaining the state of
the handler.
[0053] FIG. 5 is a block diagram illustrating another embodiment of
a test system for a semiconductor device having a handler remote
control according to the invention.
[0054] Referring to FIG. 5, the test system includes a test server
100, a tester 110 and a handler 120 as in FIG. 3. However, in the
embodiment of FIG. 5, the test server 100 may be coupled to the
handler 120 through a separate connection using, for example, a LAN
cable. The test server 100 may use the separate connection to
download a handler remote control program and/or a handler state
check program to the handler 120, and to collect handler state
check data from the handler 120. Therefore, the embodiment of FIG.
5 is similar to the embodiment of FIG. 3 because a handler remote
control program, a handler state check program, and/or handler
state check data may pass between the tester server 100 and the
handler 120. However, in the embodiment of FIG. 3, the programs
and/or data are passed through the tester 110, whereas, in the
embodiment of FIG. 5, the programs and/or data may be passed
directly between the tester server 100 and the handler 120.
[0055] According to the electrical test system for a semiconductor
device of the invention, the handler control conditions are set in
a remote control way, rather than manually by an operator, by using
the GPIB communication cable. First, the system automatically set
the handler control conditions to increase the utilization of the
handler CPU and reduce the test time, thereby increasing the test
efficiency. Second, errors caused by the operator in the process of
manually setting the handler control conditions can be avoided.
Third, problems occurring in the handler are collected in real time
to construct a database, thereby more effectively monitoring and
maintaining the state of the handler.
[0056] While the invention has been particularly shown and
described with reference to exemplary embodiments thereof, it will
be understood by those of ordinary skill in the art that various
changes in form and details may be made therein without departing
from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the
following claims.
* * * * *